Quebec Fire PhotographersCode of Conduct

Article 05: Victims and the public

The fire photographer vows to respect the victims of fires and accidents during the course of his work. He will adopt a discreet and respectful behavior on the scene of an accident, such as by avoiding to point his camera toward accident victims. When possible, the fire photographer working on the scene on an incident where a person has died or is severely injured will hold his camera with the lens toward the ground and a hand covering the camera, between shots, so to show respect and discretion toward victims and family members that may be present on site.

The fire photographer will not publish photographs that could allow to recognize the victims or accidents (with a confirmed death or not), or victims of fires with a confirmed death. If a victim is accidentally displayed in a photograph, the fire photographer commits to not publish that photograph.

EXCEPTION: Publishing is allowed when: the victim or the victim's immediate family grants it explicitly, and/or the fire department authorizes it explicitly (recognizing that the fire department itself may authorize it only if multiple conditions are met (family authorization, police authorization)).

If the fire photographer is working on the grounds of a school or kindergarden and that children are photographs, the fire photographer must make sure to get the required authorizations and to confirm that his photographs to not violate applicable laws. As needed, the photographer will alter his photographs as to make it impossible to determine the identity of individual children in relation to their location, as is required by the Youth Protection Act (L.R.Q. P-34.1).

The fire photographer will not publish photographs taken from inside a building involved in a fire.

EXCEPTION: Publishing is possible when: the building's owner (and locator if applicable) provide their explicit agreement, and if the fire department provides its explicit agreement as well.

Photographs or groups of firefighters on an incident scene (often referred to as «gang photo», «family photo», etc.), by default, cannot be published.

EXCEPTION: The involved fire department is the final authority in this matter; publishing some of these photographs may be allowed explicitly by the department. Publishing these photos on private web pages (that the public cannot reach) is however allowed.

Under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (L.R.Q. C-12) chapter I paragraph 2, any fire photographer arriving on the scene of an emergency incident where a human life is in peril must come to the aid of anyone whose life is in peril, either personally or calling for aid, by giving him the necessary and immediate physical assistance, unless it involves danger to himself or a third person, or he has another valid reason. However, as soon as a qualified emergency personnel member is able to take over and that replace the photographer, he will immediately back off from the operation and will comply with all the other rules of this Code of Conduct.